In this episode, Jenn shares her story of having a heart-attack completely out of the blue at 38 years old. This event challenged her beliefs, as a postpartum fitness coach, that she could be healthy at any size. Jenn struggled with feelings of shame about her body, and fought the urge to change everything about her lifestyle, while dealing with a medical system that ignores women and people with larger bodies. We talk about the messages we are given about our bodies, the power of social media, soft tummies, and shunning the idea that we need to get our pre-baby bodies back. 

Topics Discussed:

(0:00) Introductions

(2:23) Heart attack at 38: Jen describes what it was like having a heart attack at 38 years old. She tells us about her symptoms, and learning to advocate for herself, while being isolated during an ICU hospital stay due to COVID-19 protocols. 

(15:45) Women’s Health: Jenn chats with us about the discrimination that women face in the medical system from not having their symptoms taken seriously, to little research being done in women's health. We discuss the portrayal of heart attacks in the media, and also the blind faith that we put in doctors. 

(33:17) Shame: Jenn talks to us about the feelings of shame around her body that began to bubble up after her heart attack, and being sent the message that she had caused this because she was bigger. She describes the impact that medical professionals have when they believe that the solution for every health problem is to lose weight. Jenn had to resist the urge to try changing everything about her lifestyle, because she knows deep down this isn't true. 

(40:28) Health Neutrality: Jenn calls herself health neutral. She talks about people having tunnel vision around fitting ourselves into bodies that society deems good enough, when we should be doing what makes our bodies feel good. We talk about feeling betrayed by our bodies when they don't work the way we want them to. We also discuss looking in the mirror and not feeling good about our bodies, but learning to love them. 

(48:23) Social Media: Jenn talks about how we can change our social media habits, not just to prevent ourselves from seeing what we don't like, but using it to normalize normal bodies. 

(54:36) Soft Tummies: We receive so many messages about our bodies, and often feel the need to justify them, but we don't need to, and we don't need to get our pre-baby bodies back either. Exercising should be about doing what we love, not punishing ourselves. 

 

About Jenn:

Jenn Green is a born and raised Maritimer who moved to Toronto and fell in love with a human man, so she stayed and married him.

They have a 7 year old neurodiverse kid who has taught her more about Lego than she ever imagined.

Jenn helps Mamas get strong. She also teaches them to give the finger to postpartum 'bounce-back' culture.

In her spare time, she takes on projects she never completes and then feels really bad about it.

 

Jenn can be found at 

IG: thisbabymamabody

Website: www.babymamafitness.com

Want to be a guest on the show?

You can reach us at 

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @nowwhat_podcast

Facebook: nowwhat.pod.community